Almost 130 Bangladeshi factories yet to pay wages for June

One hundred and thirty industrial units under the jurisdiction of the Industrial Police across the country have not paid wages to their workers for the month of June until today. Out of 130 industrial units, 78 are textile and readymade garment factories and rest are non-RMG factories, according to a report.

Labour leaders, however, said that there were 100 more apparel factories in Dhaka and other areas (out of the jurisdiction of Industrial Police) in which wages remained unpaid for the month of June.

According to Bangladesh Labour Act 2006, “The wages of a worker shall be paid before the expiry of the seventh working day following the last day of the wage period in respect of which the wages is payable.”

Leaving wages outstanding before Eid is a big concern for the government, law enforcement agencies and factory owners as demand for unpaid wages often trigger massive protest, road block, violence and clash. This year Eid-ul-Azha is going to be celebrated in the second week of August.

The high officials of Industrial Police said that they had already sent the list of such factories to the home ministry, labour ministry, Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association and Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association.

According to the IP statistics, wages for the month of June remained unpaid in 62 BGMEA member factories, nine factories affiliated with BKMEA and seven member factories of Bangladesh Textile Mills Association.

“We have a list of 150 factories. 46 of them are critical, according to our own analysis. However seven are under careful observation,” BGMEA President Rubana Huq said. She claimed that most of the factories had paid wages to their workers for June but apparently around 63 factories had failed. Rubana said that those factories were in financial crisis.

Sirajul Islam Roni, President of Bangladesh National Garments Worker-Employee League, said that many of medium and small scale factories had been failed to pay the wages to their workers for the month of June. At least 100 factories in the Dhaka city and other areas (out of the jurisdiction of Industrial Police) did not paid wages, he claimed.